


Marichat May 2019

by SailorChibi



Series: Lovesquare Ficlet Collection 2019 [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged up characters, Angst, Cat Puns, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Identity Reveal, Marichat, Marichat May, Miraculous Side Effects, Post-Relationship, Pre-Relationship, Secret Identity Reveal, dramatic Chat noir, i mean come on it’s me of course there will be reveals, marichatmay2019, marinette is a sucker for puppy eyes, one-sided identity reveal, post-reveal, tags subject to change as more drabbles are posted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-02-10 23:26:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 18,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18670513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: This time, it’s 31 unrelated miraculous ficlets featuring Marinette and Chat Noir.





	1. No Powers

**Author's Note:**

> And here we go for Marichat May!

“Well, this is _paw_ -ful.”

Marinette sighed.

“We’re in a real _cat_ -amity.”

She clenched her jaw.

“I wonder if we should -”

“Oh my god, Chat, give it a rest,” she said, not unkindly. “I spent the whole morning with my dad. I’m punned out.”

Chat’s back shook with silent giggles against her back. “I’d like to meet your father someday, Marinette.”

Marinette smiled at that. “You two would love each other,” she admitted. She wasn’t sure she could take _that_ many puns though.

Okay, so choosing to hide in that particular alley hadn’t been Marinette’s wisest decision. No sooner had her transformation run out and she’d slipped out of the alley than Chat had gone running by. He’d stopped short in shock at seeing her, and the akuma had taken the chance to trap them together in a cone.

Thankfully it didn’t seem like he’d put two and two together; he must not have been watching where Ladybug had gone and seemed to assume she’d just been walking by. Unfortunately, they were stuck here until Chat’s kwami finished eating. She’d slipped Tikki a couple cookies, but would have to wait until they were free and Chat was gone to transform.

So here they were, sitting back to back, and Chat was saying, “I’ve had your family’s pastries before. They’re _meow_ -nificent.”

Marinette wondered if the compliment outweighed another pun and decided that it did. “Thanks. Maman and Papa work really hard at what they do. The bakery is like their first kid.”

“They opened it before they had you?”

“Yup. A couple years before, actually. They weren’t planning on having kids so soon; I think I was a happy little accident.”

“Must have been hard having them work in the bakery all the time,” Chat said. He sounded odd. Wistful, maybe?

Marinette shrugged, knowing he’d feel it. “Not really. They always had lots of time for me. And when I got older, I got to help.”

Chat was quiet for a long time. So long that she started to wonder if she’d said something wrong. She knew that he didn’t have the best home life, but she wasn’t _supposed_ to know that. It wasn’t like she could comfort him without making him curious.

Finally, he said, “So what I’m hearing is, my princess knows how to bake?”

Marinette blushed faintly at the nickname. “Um, yeah. Yeah I do. I’m not as good as my papa, but - yeah.”

“Would you bake for me someday?” Chat asked softly.

Her heart turned over. She wished she could turn around and hug him, but maybe it was for the best that she couldn’t. Still, that didn’t stop her from nodding fiercely.

“Of course. I’ll bake you anything you want, Chat. I promise.”


	2. Greek AU

“What are you doing?” Chat asked.

Marinette stopped mumbling to herself and looked over at him. “Practicing. The theatre club is putting on a play. I thought I might try out.”

“What play?” Chat asked innocently; he was well aware that the play was _Medea,_ but he couldn’t _tell_ Marinette that. He wasn’t supposed to know.

She lifted the book to show him the cover. “It’s not a bad play.”

“Not Shakespeare?”

Marinette scowled. “No. And frankly I’m okay with that. Some kid at school got so upset yesterday that they weren’t doing Shakespeare that he got akumatized!”

“I know,” Chat said with a rueful grimace, rubbing the back of his head in memory. That old saying about stick and stones and words never hurting was a lie.

“Of course you know,” Marinette said, her face falling. “I saw all the hits you took. Are you okay?”

Chat shrugged. “My Lady’s miraculous cure fixed my ills,” he said. There was no point in telling her about the bruises and puncture marks from before the cure had been activated. Ladybug had fared just as poorly, but fortunately they had both been healed.

“That doesn’t always mean much,” Marinette said, pursing her lips.

Her open look of worry made Chat feel warm from head to toe. It was one of his favorite things about Marinette: she ~~loved~~ cared so _freely_ , letting anyone into her huge heart. Even a scruffy stray like him.

“Really, Princess. I’m fine. I’m made of strong stuff,” Chat said, patting his chest lightly.

Marinette didn’t look convinced. If anything, she squinted suspiciously at him. “You look thin.”

“What?”

“I’m getting you food,” she said decisively, getting up. “Stay there.”

“I’m not a dog,” Chat said to the empty room, but he didn’t dare move. Not if there were Dupain-Chang pastries to be had.

That was another favorite thing about Marinette. She fed everyone. Even Adrien. He’d lost count of how many times he’d come into school feeling downtrodden and exhausted, only to have Marinette show up and shove a pastry into his face. It always helped, even if it would make his nutritionist have a heart attack, and it was like she had a sixth sense for when he really needed it.

He reached over and picked up the play, flipping through it. He didn’t have time to be in it, unfortunately. His schedule barely left him enough time to breathe sometimes. But he thought he’d like to see Marinette on stage. He pictured her in a Greek robe with her hair up and blushed. She would look beautiful.

“Why are you so red?” Marinette asked, coming back into the room, and Chat sputtered.

“L-Lines! I’ll - help - yes, lines!”

Marinette stared at him. “What?”

“I’ll help you. Run lines,” Chat said, mortified.

“Really? Thanks Chat!” Marinette beamed at him and Chat blushed again, smiling uncertainly back.


	3. Kittens

“Seriously?”

“What?”

“Why did you bring those here?”

“I found them in an alley.”

“Yes, so you’ve said. But why did you bring them _here_?”

“I couldn’t just _leave them there_ ,” Chat said, sounding so scandalized that a person walking by would’ve sworn that Marinette had suggested throwing the box of kittens out the window.

Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose. He’s my other half, she reminded herself. I would cry a lot if he died. I can’t throw _Chat_ out the window no matter how much I want to at the moment.

When she thought she could speak without yelling, she looked up again. “Chat. Why did you bring them _here_? To _my_ bedroom? As opposed to, oh I don’t know, _your own bedroom_?”

Chat blinked innocently. “My father won’t let me have pets. And Plagg isn’t a big fan of other cats. He says they’re too needy.”

“Plagg would know, considering how needy he is,” Marinette said, not sure if she wanted to laugh or cry as she looked down at the box in Chat’s lap. Four kittens, two all black, one entirely grey, and one mostly grey with black paws, stared up at her with big blue eyes.

They were so cute, it was making her heart hurt.

“I just need you to keep them for a few days,” Chat said earnestly. “Until I can figure out what to do with them.”

“What you need to do is find them homes,” Marinette told him. She was trying to sound stern and suspected she was failing spectacularly.

He clutched at the box like someone was trying to take it away and gasped. “But… but what if I send one of them home with someone and they end up neglected? Or abused?”

Right about that moment, Marinette Dupain-Cheng saw her future with perfect clarity. It involved her parents finding out about the kittens and gently suggesting that it was time for Marinette move out. It involved a new apartment, four kittens, one mostly human black cat who she would never get rid of, and a lot of screaming into her pillows.

With a sense of growing resignation, or maybe horror, she said, “That’s why you ask questions. You do your research. I’m sure you can do it.”

“Maybe,” Chat said, but he didn’t sound convinced. And then, the little shit, he gave a very wistful sigh and widened his eyes sadly. “I just wish someone I knew could keep them so that I could visit.”

Fuck. Marinette tried to steel herself against five sets of frankly adorable kitty eyes, but it was a lost cause. Somewhere in the room, she was 100% positive that Tikki was laughing at her.

“Fine,” she muttered. “I’ll keep your stupid kittens.”

Chat’s face lit up and he carefully set the box aside before pouncing on her for a big hug. As Marinette hugged him back, she eyed the box and the four kittens that had spilled out.

She sure hoped Tikki liked cats better than Plagg did.


	4. Birthday

“Hey, Marinette, your birthday is in three days, right?”

Marinette straightened up slightly and turned to look at Chat. “Why?”

He shrugged, not looking at her. “What does a guy get a girl for her birthday?”

“Anything he wants?” Marinette said blankly. “You don’t have to get me anything for my birthday, Chat.”

“But that’s what friends do, right?” Chat finally lifted his head. “Especially partners?”

Her heart melted a bit. Any worries she might have had about Chat not liking Ladybug after he found out who she was were long gone. If anything, finding out her identity seemed to make Chat like both sides of her even more.

It was killing him, she knew, that she wouldn’t let him tell her who he was. But it was just too dangerous. She was trying to protect him whether he liked it or not.

“Yeah,” Marinette said, because she couldn’t argue that. “I’ll like whatever you buy me, _Chaton_.”

Chat nodded thoughtfully. “What if I could get you tickets to Gabriel Agreste’s next fashion show?”

“You - you - _seriously_?!” Marinette tried not to scream too loudly.

“Seriously,” Chat said, smiling.

“Oh my god! Chat, that would be _amazing_!” Marinette jumped up and grabbed his arm, shaking it.

He laughed. “I’m not making any promises. But I’m going to try. I’d hate to disappoint my princess _and_ my lady.”

“You could never disappoint me,” Marinette said softly, gentling her grip. “You know that, right?”

“I hope you’re right,” he said, and then, unusually for Chat, he made an excuse to leave. Marinette watched him go, puzzled. Normally Chat stuck around for as long as he could. He’d spent so many nights here she had a homemade mask and spare pajamas for him.

What had that been about?

She didn’t see her partner again until her birthday. Marinette woke up early enough to have a birthday breakfast with her maman and papa. Then Alya dropped by to walk with her to school.

“Happy Birthday, Marinette!” Nino called out as she and Alya walked onto the school grounds.

“Thanks Nino,” Marinette said, beaming.

“Hi, Marientte,” Adrien said. He seemed nervous as he handed her a small box. “Happy Birthday.”

“Wow, thanks,” Marinette said, surprised and pleased. She opened the box and froze.

Tickets to Gabriel Agreste’s next fashion show.

It could’ve been a coincidence.

It _had to be_ a coincidence.

But as she looked up at Adrien’s _way too_ innocent smile, she knew it wasn’t.

“You goddamn cat,” Marinette hissed. “I _told_ you -!”

He was already running. She took off after him, leaving a bewildered Alya and Nino behind. Adrien dashed out the gate, across the street and into an alley. One flash of green light later, a giggling Chat Noir took to the rooftops with Ladybug in hot pursuit.


	5. Chapter 5

“Do you like baking, Marinette?”

Marinette didn’t answer at first. Her eyebrows were furrowed with concentration and her tongue was sticking out of the corner of her mouth. Her hands were steady as she meticulously applied several green dots of icing to the top of the cake she was working on.

Chat could have watched her for forever.

Finally, she pulled the piping bag back and wiped her forehead, unknowingly leaving a streak of green icing behind. She turned to smile at him and said, “I don’t mind it. I can bake a cake or cookies, but I’m not that good at the more complicated stuff. I tried to do some macarons last year and they all burned to a crisp.”

“You’re good at decorating, though,” he said, looking at the cake she was working on. She’d baked it herself. It was a triple layer chocolate cake with strawberry syrup inside and vanilla frosting outside. It looked delicious.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of practice,” Marinette said, laughing. “Papa used to get me to help him decorate cookies and cupcakes. It was his way of keeping me out of trouble.”

Chat smiled, easily picturing a little four or five year old Marinette bent over a cupcake in concentration. It was a nice image. Much better than the memories of his own childhood, when Gabriel used to fob his son off on baby-sitters and nannies to keep from being disturbed whenever Émilie was away.

“I do a lot of sewing, so my hands are steadier than most people. That helps a lot,” Marinette went on, seemingly oblivious to his suddenly morose mood. “Maman is really good at decorating, too. I probably get it from both of them.”

She picked up the icing bag, adding one last careful dollop, and then beamed. “There! Okay, it’s finally ready.”

“Can I see now?” Chat asked. He’d been banished to a corner of the kitchen after his tail had ‘accidentally’ knocked over a container of salt when Marinette ignored him for too long. As good as his vision was, he couldn’t make out the top of the cake from his position.

Marinette nodded. “But I’m warning you now, don’t touch.”

“I won’t.” He held his claws up and slid off his stool, moving closer. His eyes went wide when he saw the cake.

The top had been artfully decorated with various anime and gaming symbols and even a couple of characters. He spotted the Triforce, the logo from Ultimate Mecha Strike, and Sailor Moon’s bunny signature, as well as a Dragonball, the Avengers ‘A’. and several others. In the middle of the cake were the words ‘Happy Birthday Adrien’ in green.

“What do you think?” Marinette asked anxiously, after Chat had stood there in stunned silence for a little too long. “It’s my classmate’s birthday tomorrow and his dad won’t let have him a party, so - wait, Chat, are you _crying_?!”

“No!” Chat choked out, blinking rapidly. “No, it’s - it’s amazing, Princess. Your classmate is going to love it.”

Marinette looked at him worriedly, then smiled. “Thanks. I hope so.”

“I know so,” Chat said softly, so touched he could barely stand it. She didn’t know it but tomorrow, Marinette was going to get a _huge_ hug from Adrien.


	6. Adoption/Family

It was all Sabine Cheng’s fault.

Chat had no interest in going back to the Dupain-Cheng bakery after Marinette’s father was akumatized. He didn’t mind meeting Marinette on her balcony once in a while, but facing her parents? No thank you. He’d been punched by Tom Dupain-Cheng one too many times.

But then Sabine walked by while Chat was sitting in the park across from the bakery. She was loaded down with packages and clearly struggling; he found himself offering to help, and the next thing he knew he was sitting on the Dupain-Cheng couch while Sabine bustled around the kitchen.

“Here you go, Dear,” she said, coming over with a tray of cookies and a cup of tea.

“Oh, Madame, that’s not necessary,” Chat said meekly. His stomach growled loudly as though to counter his words. His meager lunch had been a very long time ago.

Sabine got a mulish look on her face that was not unlike the expression Marinette wore when facing down Chloé. Sternly, she said, “ _Eat_. I won’t take no for an answer.”

And that’s the scene Marinette walked in on nineteen minutes later, purse in hand and cellphone at her ear. She froze when she saw him, her eyes widening. Chat had just stuffed three cookies into his mouth. He tried to chew fast and waved weakly.

Much to his surprise, instead of getting mad or flustered, Marinette snorted with laughter and said, “I gotta go. Talk to you later, Alya. Bye.” She hung up.

“Uh, hi?” Chat squeaked out around a mouthful of cookie.

“Hi,” Marinette said, looking far too amused. “Maman, I thought Papa said you weren’t allowed to adopt any more strays?”

Sabine poked her head out of the kitchen to smile at her daughter. “It doesn’t count. He’s your stray, not mine.”

Marinette went pink. “Maman!”

“Shush. Go sit down. I’ll bring you a snack.”

“But Maman -”

“Marinette. _Sit_.”

Marinette frowned but obeyed, taking a seat beside Chat on the couch. He swallowed the last of his cookies, feeling uncomfortable. She clearly didn’t want him there, and he didn’t feel right intruding no matter how nice the last few minutes had been.

“It’s fine. I’ll go,” he whispered to Marinette.

“What?” Marinette said. “Why?”

“I - I don’t want to intrude -” He started to get up.

“Oh for goodness’ sake, sit down,” Marinette said, exasperated.

“But -”

“It’s fine, Chat. I don’t mind you being here. And Maman will get upset if you leave without finishing your cookies.”

Suddenly unsure, he eyed the remaining cookies. He really did want them, but he didn’t want to make Marinette upset either.

“Seriously,” Marinette said, visibly softening. She smiled at him. “Sit down, Kitty. Eat your cookies, okay?”

Only Ladybug called him ‘kitty’, but Chat found he didn’t mind the nickname coming from Marinette. He sat and picked up another cookie, taking a bite out of it.

“Good, huh?” Marinette said.

Chat nodded. “The best.”

Her smile widened. “Damn straight. Feel free to come have some anytime you want, okay?”

“Are you sure?” he asked, surprised by the offer.

Marinette looked at him for a long time before she nodded. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”


	7. Roommates

“Mari, I’m home!”

“Hey Chat. I’ll be out in a minute,” Marinette called back.

“Okay. I’m gonna shower.”

She hummed an acknowledgement loud enough to be heard over the sound of her sewing machine and bent her head to her task. Her ‘minute’ turned into twenty minutes, but she was able to get to a good stopping point. She sat back with a satisfied sigh.

“All good, Tikki?” she asked, glancing at her kwami.

“I could use a few more cookies,” Tikki said.

“Okay. I’ll grab you some.” Marinette stood and went to the door, pulling her houserobe on as she went. She checked to be sure Chat wasn’t around before she opened the door and slipped out.

Most people in her life thought it was a little weird that Marinette had a two bedroom apartment to herself. She’d managed to convince her parents and friends that she used the second bedroom as a sewing room/office. None of them had any idea that she had a roommate, _or_ that her roommate was none other than Chat Noir.

It was tempting fate, as Tikki called it. Chat didn’t know she was Ladybug, and Marinette didn’t know his identity either. Her name was alone on the lease; he gave her cash every month to cover his portion. Around the apartment, he always wore a mask.

She’d asked him once if it wouldn’t be easier for Chat to just get an apartment as his civilian self. The very sad look he’d worn as he quietly answered “no”, along with his somber mood over the next few days, meant that Marinette had never asked again.

It was tricky sometimes. They had a strict rule about never entering each other’s bedroom, and visitors (always Marinette’s) had to be discussed well in advance. And even then, they’d still had some close calls. But it worked.

She grabbed some cookies for Tikki and took them back to the bedroom, then started making supper. The bathroom door opened and a moment later Chat joined her, hair damp and flopping into his eyes and face. It no longer shocked her so much to see human green eyes peering at her from behind the mask.

“How was your day?” Marinette asked, passing him a knife. She’d taught him how to cook and then, when he surpassed what she knew, they’d learned together. She liked cooking with him.

“Eh. It was okay. Kinda stressful,” Chat said. She didn’t know what he did, only that he worked for his father in an office of some kind. She wondered sometimes what his father and friends thought. Did they think Chat just lived alone? Did they never wonder why he didn’t bring them over?

“That’s too bad,” Marinette said. “How about after supper, we pop some popcorn and watch a movie? I could use a break from sewing.”

His face lit up. “That sounds _puurrr_ -fect, Princess.”

Marinette smiled back. “It’s a date, then,” she said. “Peel those potatoes, would you?”

It was a little odd, and at some point they were bound to run into problems, but for now… they were both happy and it worked.


	8. Mittens for Kittens

“What are you doing?” Chat asked. He felt the way Marinette tensed in surprise when he leaned over her shoulder to better see, though her fingers never stopped their steady movement.

“Making a gift for a friend,” Marinette replied.

Chat was quiet for a moment, looking at the soft blue yarn. Something about the color of it was tugging at his brain. He wished he could feel it, because he thought that might help him figure out why it looked so familiar. He snuck a glance at Marinette. She looked suitably occupied.

“ _What_ are _you_ doing?” she asked mere seconds later, aghast.

Chat froze in the midst of rubbing his cheek against her ball of yarn and forced out a sheepish laugh. “Uh… sorry, Princess. I just wanted to feel it, that’s all.”

Marinette just looked at him for at least a minute - a very _awkward_ minute - before she shook her head. “Well, don’t. Adrien won’t like mittens with pulled threads.”

“You’re making these for Adrien?” Chat said, shocked.

“Yup. To match his scarf.”

 _That’s_ why the yarn looked and felt so familiar! Chat wanted to hit himself upside the head, though he managed to refrain. He only wore the scarf every day in the winter. He’d pulled it out of his closet just that morning, in fact, even though it wasn’t nearly cold enough yet.

Oblivious, Marinette continued speaking. “I’m going to have to come up with kind of story though.”

“A story? Why?” Chat picked up a strand of the yarn. It looked so pale against the black of his suit.

“I said, don’t.” Marinette paused what she was doing to tug the strand out of his claws. “When I make your mittens, you can play with the yarn as much as you want.”

He glanced at her, pleased and surprised. “You’re making me a set too?”

She blushed sightly, sounding a little defensive when she said, “Well… it gets cold in Paris for the winter, and you and Ladybug spend all your time running around outside. I thought maybe you got cold, especially on patrols.”

“Are you making a set for my lady too?” Chat asked. He couldn’t think of how to cope with this information. His princess was truly too sweet!

For some reason, that made Marinette smile at him. “Yes, she’s all set too.”

Chat smiled back. “So why a story?” he asked, too curious to let the matter go.

“Oh. Well, a couple years ago I made Adrien a scarf for his birthday. But somehow some wires got crossed and…” Marinette sighed and picked up her project, though she didn’t resume knitting. She just looked at the half-finished mitten with a sad smile. “He ended up thinking that the scarf was a gift from his father. He was so happy about it that I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the truth. So, I guess I’ll just have to tell him that I got this yarn to match the scarf. He doesn’t need to know it’s _exact_ same yarn. I hate to lie, but…” She shrugged a little and began knitting again.

Chat stared at her again, thunderstruck. “Wait, _you_ made my scarf?” he blurted out.

Marinette froze. “What?”

“What?” Chat parroted back. His brain was in overdrive. He couldn’t handle this!

“Did you just say…” Marinette trailed off and stared hard at him again. Slowly her eyes widened until they were bulging out of her head.

“I said nothing!” Chat said quickly, finally realizing where this was headed. But it was too late. Marinette made a high-pitched sound, like a tea kettle that was boiling over, and dropped the mitten on the floor. Her voice was very shrill when she finally screamed.

“ _ADRIEN_?!”


	9. Ice Skating

Marinette _hated_ Hawkmoth.

“Better be _claw_ -ful, Princess!”

She also kind of hated Chat Noir, for the record.

“I’m f-fine!” Marinette chattered out, shivering and clumsily trying to get to her feet. She needed to get somewhere safe to transform, but that was proving easier said than done. When dressing that morning, she hadn’t anticipated today’s akuma would be a child who missed winter.

As a result, Paris had yet again been transformed into a winter wonderland, with ice covering the streets. As Ladybug on skates, this would be no problem. As Marinette wearing flip flops, well…

Let’s just say her butt was going to be black and blue tonight.

Chat came up behind her. “Please let me take you to safety, Marinette. The akuma could be back any moment.”

Marinette frowned deeply. She, along with all of her classmates, had run out of the school in time to see Chat fighting with the akuma. He’d used his baton like a bat to send the akuma flying, but he was right. It would probably be back any minute.

And Chat needed her help. It wasn’t fair to delay him Ladybug any longer than necessary.

“Fine,” she said reluctantly.

He stepped closer and reached for her, one arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees. He lifted her up and Marinette automatically wound her arms around his neck, a feeling of peace and safety coming over her. She couldn’t help leaning into him.

“Let’s go!” Chat said, pushing off sharply. She’d noticed before that he was quite an accomplished skater, but she was really seeing it now. He whizzed down the street, dodging cars and floundering pedestrians with ease.

“Shouldn’t you help them?” Marinette asked, wincing when she saw an older woman slip and fall over Chat’s shoulder.

“If I’ve learned anything from being a superhero, it’s that I can only help one person at a time. I’ll get you out of the way and then go back to help others for as long as I can until the akuma comes back.”

“I’m sure Ladybug will be here soon,” Marinette said.

Chat smiled softly. “I know she will,” he said with such utter conviction that Marinette’s heart fluttered.

He leaped into the air suddenly, landing on her balcony. He set Marinette down, and she was surprised to find that she immediately missed the feel of his arms around her as soon as he let go. She tried to tell herself that it was just because Chat was so warm and it was freezing out, but the excuse rang pretty hollow when Chat smiled at her and, again, her traitorous heart skipped a beat.

“Stay here where it’s safe, Princess.” He turned and prepared to jump.

“Wait!” Marinette blurted out, grabbing his arm.

He paused. “What?”

She didn’t even know what she was going to do until her body was already moving: she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Chat’s eyes widened, his jaw dropped and he turned bright red. Marinette blushed too, embarrassed over her forward move but not exactly regretting the kiss either.

“Thanks,” she said shyly, averting her gaze and playing with the hem of her t-shirt.

“Uh… n-no p-problem,” Chat stuttered. He jumped away.

“Oh gosh, I can’t believe I did that,” Marinette muttered, pressing her hands over her burning cheeks.

Her purse popped open and Tikki popped out. “Dwell on it later, Marinette! Chat needs you!”

“Right.” But even as Marinette dug through her bag to find the special macarons for Tikki and focused her mind on the fight ahead, her heart was still pounding in a way she usually only associated with Adrien.


	10. Victorian AU

In the distance, people were screaming. Even the men were running away. Marinette’s hands and dress were both filthy and her heart was racing with fear. She swore under her breath, language her mother would faint over, and pulled harder.

“I’m scared!” The little girl in front of Marinette was weeping hysterically.

“Shh, it’s alright,” Marinette whispered. It really wasn’t. She sat back on her heels and looked again at the way the little girl’s long skirts were caught beneath the heavy wooden beam. There was just no way Marinette could move it. She’d been trying for close to two minutes and had barely shifted it, and she could tell from the sounds behind her that the akuma was getting closer.

When she went to stand, the little girl panicked and grabbed for Marinette’s dress. “Please don’t leave me!”

“I’m sorry; I have to. I need to find help,” Marinette said. “Surely there must be some strong men around who can free you. I’ll be right back.”

She felt awful, but she had to pull her dress put of the little girl’s grip. The little girl collapsed into renewed sobs as Marinette gathered her skirts and ran to the main street. The akuma was still wreaking havoc, much closer than it had been last time Marinette looked, and there was no one around.

But then, like a stroke of incredible luck, a man appeared. He ran out of a nearby store and actually looked Marinette’s way. She waved frantically to him.

“Sir, please help!” Marinette called out desperately. “A child is stuck!”

“Run!” The man yelled at her, and fled.

“But there is a _child_ -” Marinette huffed and stomped her foot with frustration. She hesitated, looking at the looming akuma, then turned to run back to the little girl. She stopped short.

The mysterious vigilante known only as Chat Noir stood right behind her. His sword hung from his hip. He looked as though he had been fighting for weeks, blood and bruises visible on every inch of his skin. Marinette froze.

“I will help you,” Chat Noir said quietly.

It only took a moment for Marinette to make up her mind. She nodded. “This way.”

She led Chat Noir to where the little girl was. He knelt to examine the beam, then said something to the little girl. Marinette couldn’t hear what it was he said over the noise the akuma was making, but whatever it was made the little girl smile.

Then Chat Noir straightened up, gripped the beam, and effortlessly lifted it. With Marinette’s help, the little girl scrambled free.

“Thank you!” she cried, before running away.

“Yes, thank you,” Marinette said, turning to their savior. He deserved a moment of gratitude before she ran too. She’d never believed the stories about Chat Noir, but now she knew for sure that they weren’t true.

“It was my pleasure,” Chat Noir said quietly. He started to speak, then paused, biting his lip.

Marinette frowned at him. “I am in your debt, Sir. If I can help, you need only ask.”

Chat Noir chuckled. “You may find yourself regretting that offer, Mademoiselle…?”

“Marinette. My name is Marinette,” she said. It was forward, very forward, but her name made Chat Noir smile.

“As it so happens, I am in need of a partner,” he said. “You may have noticed I’m not very good at my job.”

“I think you’re doing brilliantly!” Marinette said fiercely. His smile softened at that, turning shy.

“Many in the city would disagree. I haven’t found anyone who I trust, and would trust me in return, that would be worthy of this power.” He paused before looking at her again. “But you - you risked your life to save that girl.”

“She was just a child,” Marinette whispered. “She needed my help.”

“They all need our help,” Chat Noir said. He reached into a pocket and produced two, plain grey studs. He held them out to her on the palm of his hand.

Marinette stared at them. Her fingers itched to take them, but she refrained. Instead, she met Chat Noir’s gaze first. His green eyes were so intent, silently begging for her help, that she felt lost in them.

Out loud, he said, “Mademoiselle Marinette, would you do me the honor of being my Ladybug?”


	11. Mask Ball

Over the sound of the crowd and music, Marinette heard a familiar laugh. She stopped short, nearly causing the two people behind her to fall over. With an apologetic smile, Marinette moved aside.

In doing so, she caught sight of… _him_.

Marinette plowed through the crowd, using her elbows and knees to usher people aside and move faster. She came up behind her quarry and grabbed his arm just above the elbow. He yelped in surprise.

“What are you _doing_ here, Chat?!” she hissed in his ear.

Chat froze for a split second, then just as quickly relaxed. He turned to face her and beamed. “Princess!”

“Don’t ‘Princess’ me,” Marinette said, folding her arms across her chest.

“I’m shocked you recognized me,” Chat said, still smiling.

Marinette gave him a quick once-over. He was wearing a tailored, three-piece black suit with a white shirt and a silky green tie. A black mask was fixed over his face, but the green eyes staring at her were decidedly human.

“I heard you laugh,” she admitted. “What are you doing here?”

“I was invited.”

“You and Ladybug?” Marinette said, panicking slightly. She didn’t remember that!

But Chat was shaking his head. “No. My civilian self got an invite,” he clarified.

“Oh shit,” Marinette said, her face warming. “I - shit, I shouldn’t be around you. I’ll go.”

“Wait!” This time it was Chat who caught her arm. “Will you dance with me first?”

“Chat… I shouldn’t.”

“Come on, Princess. One dance. That’s all I ask. I can’t dance with my lady tonight, so allow me a dance with at least _one_ of the beautiful women in my life.”

Against her better judgement, and in the face of his hopeful smile, Marinette caved. “One dance.”

He grinned and held out a hand. “By the way, you look beautiful. Did you make your dress?”

Marinette nodded. “It took me a long time, but I’m proud of it.” She’d stayed away from red and black for the masked ball, not wanting to tempt fate. With Chat here, she was grateful she’d done her dress in fluid shades of blue and silver, with a silver mask to match. With her hair pinned up and decorated with fake silver and blue flowers, Alya had told her she looked stunning.

The admiring look in Chat’s eyes only confirmed Alya’s opinion.

She took Chat’s hand and he escorted her out onto the floor. She wasn’t very practiced at dancing, but Chat proved to be an exceptional dancer. He held her waist with one hand and her hand with the other, leading her around with quick, graceful movements that actually made Marinette feel like she could do this.

“You’re so good,” she said, impressed.

“My mother taught me to dance,” he said. “She used to let me stand on her feet while we danced around the room.”

Picturing that, Marinette giggled. “You must’ve been so cute. Just a little kitty,” she said fondly.

Chat blushed, pink seeping out from beneath his mask. “I guess.”

He spun her around, then out. Marinette’s gown flared out around her as she twirled, then settled comfortably around her legs as Chat reeled her back in. She caught a glimpse of a few people watching them and grinned.

Whether Chat knew it or not, he _was_ getting his dance with his lady.

All too soon, the song ended. Marinette sighed. “Thanks for the dance,” she said, trying to hide her disappointment.

“I should be thanking you. Dancing with you has been the highlight of this otherwise boring night by far.” He still had a hold of her hand; he lifted it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Good night, my lovely Princess.”

“Good night,” she whispered. She had to stop herself from calling him something like ‘my sweet _Chaton_ ’.

Chat straightened up, gave her one last smile, and disappeared into the crowd. In seconds, Marinette couldn’t see him anymore. She decided she needed some air and headed in the other direction.

Alya accosted her before she got to the balcony, squealing. “Holy shit, girl! That was amazing!”

“Oh, you were watching?” Marinette said nervously. It wasn’t like she could tell Alya who that guy was. Not if she wanted Chat to have a moment’s peace tonight.

“Are you kidding?! My ship was sailing! Of course I was watching! I got it on video!” Alya waved her phone excitedly.

Marinette furrowed her eyebrow. “What? Your ship?” she echoed, confused. Since when did Alya ship her with Chat Noir?

Alya looked at her like she was stupid. “You were dancing with _Adrien_. He _kissed_ your _hand_. How are you _not_ _freaking out_?!”

“No, I didn’t. I danced with -” Marinette paused. Rewound.

That was Adrien.

She’d called him Chat.

He’d called her Princess.

He’d called Ladybug _his lady._

“Oh my god,” Marinette said.

Alya grinned. “There we go.”

“ _Oh my god_!” Marinette grabbed the front of Alya’s orange gown. “Are you sure that was Adrien?!”

“Uh, yeah? I spent like twenty minutes talking to him, so -”

“I gotta go!” Marinette spun and plunged into the crowd in the direction Chat - no, _Adrien_ had gone.

She had a cat to find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ficlet has [now been expanded](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20456834)


	12. Post Reveal

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

Chat opened his eyes to a darkening sky and Ladybug’s tear streaked face. She held her hand out and he took it, letting her pull him to his feet. He swayed, slightly disoriented, and she looped her arm around his waist and used her yo-yo to take them away.

They landed in an alley several blocks over. Chat was feeling slightly better by that point, enough so that his legs didn’t collapse out from under him when she let go. Ladybug stepped away from him as her transformation came undone in a flash of red light.

“What happened?” Chat asked. The last thing he remembered was the akuma throwing a steel beam at Ladybug. He’d pushed her away to safety, but he hadn’t been so lucky. The beam had pierced his midsection. After that, he remembered blinding pain and not much else.

He was pretty sure he’d died.

“I beat the akuma.” Marinette sounded kind of strange. Her back was to him, so he couldn’t see her face.

“Good job. Pound it?” Chat held his fist up hopefully.

His heart sank when she didn’t turn around.

“Marinette, I -”

“You have to _stop_ doing this,” she said, and she was definitely crying again. “I can’t lose you. There is no Ladybug without Chat Noir. You know that.”

“It’s my job to protect you,” Chat replied. They’d had this fight before. He would never stop keeping her safe.

“No, it’s not! You’re not my shield.”

“But I _am_. I would happily die for you, My Lady.”

Marinette finally turned around. Her beautiful blue eyes were full of tears. “I don’t want you to _die_ for me, Chat. I want you to _live_ for me.”

“Mari -”

“I want to marry you,” she said, cutting him off.

Chat opened his mouth but nothing came out. He could only stared at her in shock. They’d known each other’s identities for about three months now, but neither of them had brought up the idea of being _more_. Not yet. Hearing Marinette say that so bluntly absolutely _floored_ him.

“I want to have your children. A bug for Tikki and a kitten for Plagg,” Marinette went on. “I want us to grow old together. And maybe…” She trailed off, wrapping her arms around herself.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then took a deep breath before looking back at him. “Maybe that’s not in the cards for us. We might die in battle for good someday; I get that. But if that’s our fate, I want us to go on fighting together for as long as we can. I am _your_ Ladybug, Chat. No one else’s. I can’t do this without you.”

Chat was still dumbstruck. “Marinette,” he began, only to realize he didn’t know what to say.

Marinette smiled sadly at him. “I love you. And it kills me to watch you put yourself in danger for no reason. Don’t just push me out of the way. Get us _both_ out of the way. Just… just stop being so _reckless_. I need you to stay alive, okay? _I need you_.” The tears finally pooled over and spilled down her face again.

His throat aching, Chat reached for her. She came willingly, tucking herself into his arms with a sob. He hugged her tightly as she wept, overwhelmed. No one had ever loved him like Marinette. No one, except for Plagg, had ever _really_ cared whether he lived or died.

It took him a long time to be able to speak without crying. He had to swallow several times, and even then the huge lump in his throat didn’t disappear. He pressed his face into her hair and whispered, voice cracking, into her ear.

“I’m sorry, Princess. I need you too. I’ll try to remember next time.”


	13. Villain

The skin on the back of Marinette’s neck prickled. She wasn’t alone anymore. She pretended not to notice and, instead of looking around, picked up her mug and sipped. Tiny marshmallows bumped gently against her upper lip.

“It’s your favorite,” Marinette said out loud. “And it’s getting cold.”

A black shadow separated from the other shadows on her balcony, forming into Chat Noir. Even after all this time he looked more like a kitten that expected to be kicked than a villain, yet Marinette had plenty of hidden bruises that marked him as the latter.

“Spicy hot chocolate?” he asked.

“With marshmallows,” she said, nudging the second cup closer. He hesitated before slowly reaching out to take it.

How had they come to this? It was a question Marinette asked herself often. She didn’t have a good answer. She wished she did, especially since Tikki’s judgmental looks and questions had been getting more pointed.

Chat Noir and Ladybug were supposed to be partners, Tikki said. Not so this time around. If Chat knew who she was, he’d be furious. He’d probably try to Catsclysm her. The thought, and the risk, made Marinette shift uneasily.

Yet she couldn’t bring herself to send him away. He’d go if she asked, she knew, but she just couldn’t.

“It’s cold out tonight,” Chat said at last. He’d already drained half his cup.

“It’s not too bad,” Marinette said. “Not like winter.”

“Not yet. But it won’t be long.”

They both looked up at the sky. It was overcast and damp, as though it might snow at any moment.

“You must be cold too,” Marinette said, because she wasn’t supposed to know how well the suit could shield against the weather.

Chat shrugged. “I get by.” He seemed, in that moment, impossibly weary, draining his cup and setting it down.

“Can I ask you a question?” Marinette blurted out before she could stop herself.

She half-expected him to take off. Questions weren’t supposed to be a part of this; she’d learned that early on. He guarded his identity as ferociously as Ladybug did, and for good reason. In the city of Paris, Chat Noir was hated almost as much as Hawkmoth.

Chat eyed her, eyes narrowed. He didn’t take off, but he was clearly uneasy.

“Depends on what it is,” he said finally.

“Why do you do it?” Marinette asked. “Why help him?”

It was the one thing she wanted to know the most. Why fight against Ladybug instead of with her? Why support Hawkmoth? Why go against everything that was _right_?

This wasn’t what Chat wanted. Marinette believed that with her whole heart, and seeing the look on Chat’s face right then only served to convince her more. He looked so _conflicted_. Her heart broke for him.

“I don’t have a choice,” Chat said, very quietly.

“Chat -”

He whispered something that froze Marinette right down to her core. And then, while she was sitting there in shock, he spun on his heel and leaped off the balcony. By the time she snapped out of her stupor, he was long gone. She stood there at her railing for a long time, staring at the city, tears on her cheeks and wondering what might have been.

“ _Because Hawkmoth is my father_.”


	14. Angst

The taste of blood and defeat was bitter on Marinette’s tongue.

“What do we do now?” she whispered, the words lost beneath the sound of the howling wind. Her tear-filled eyes surveyed the wreckage around them.

The body beside her didn’t respond. She looked over at Chat automatically. His eyes were shut, but his chest was still rising and falling, thank good. The movement was slower than it should’ve been, and there was a slight rattle when he exhaled, but frankly it was a miracle he wasn’t dead yet.

She set her hand on his and bowed her head and sat for several long moments, trying to get her brain to come up with some kind of plan. But it was like trying to walk through molasses: her thoughts were disjointed and slow, to the point where it took her far too long to come to the right conclusion.

In the distance, akumas screamed their triumph. Marinette flinched, her right hand lifting to touch her bare earlobe. The movement hurt, but she ignored the pain.

It was only a matter of time until she and Chat were found again. With the last of his energy, he’d spirited her away when her miraculous was stolen. No sooner had they landed in this alley than Chat had collapsed.

She honestly didn’t know if he’d ever open his eyes again if she couldn’t get the Ladybug miraculous back.

Hot tears finally spilled over, rolling down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to sob too loud. Why hadn’t they ever stopped to think that Hawkmoth might stoop this low?

Chat couldn’t fight. She had no idea where Alya, Nino and Chloé were. For all Marinette knew, they were already dead. She was on her own, at least for now.

She turned to Chat. “ _Chaton_ , listen. I can’t leave your miraculous here. I can’t let Hawkmoth get it. So I’m going to borrow it. I’ll bring it back, I swear.” She touched his cool cheek.

“When I fix this, the first thing I’m going to do is kiss you,” she promised. It was a promise come too late.

Gently, she slid the ring from his finger and caught the kwami that tumbled from it. She didn’t want to look at Chat; it seemed disrespectful to know his identity under these circumstances. But she couldn’t bear not knowing if the worst were to happen.

So she looked, and more tears fell down her cheeks when she saw his face, but she didn’t kiss him and she didn’t look at his chest to see if he still breathed without the help of his miraculous. She didn’t want to know, _couldn’t_ know, because a world without her kitty was not worth fighting for.

“I’ll be back,” Marinette whispered, and slid the ring on as she walked towards the mouth of the alley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now has a sequel: [Ladrien June Day 1: Kiss](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19046746/chapters/45241543).


	15. Found

“That’s it. This is officially the most annoying akuma in the history of forever.”

Marinette giggled. “Don’t worry. We’ll find your baton.”

Chat let his shoulders slump, looking around despondently. “I don’t even know if it’s here! This is like looking for a needle in a haystack!”

She patted his shoulder. “You said that the akuma’s range seems to be about ten feet, right?” she said reasonably. “So, it’s got to be here.”

He didn’t remember saying that to her, but figured he must have. Today’s akuma was obsessed with losing things. One green beam of light later, Chat’s baton had vanished from his his hand and was now officially lost.

The good news was that people found their things within a ten foot perimeter of where they’d ‘lost’ them.

The bad news was that he and Marinette had been searching for twenty minutes with no luck.

“I hope Ladybug is doing better,” Chat groused.

Marinette gave another, more nervous laugh. “I’m sure she’s doing fine. She’s probably looking for her yo-yo.”

“I hope she found someone to help.” Chat sighed and poked through the next pile. It had been sheer luck that he’d found Marinette minutes after losing his baton. Before he’d even gotten a word out, she’d announced that she’d been watching what happened and would help him search. Chat, never one to turn down time with his princess or her help, had immediately agreed.

“I’m sure she did,” Marinette said.

“Maybe I should give up,” he said. “The akuma is still loose, and I’ve fought without my baton before.”

“No! It’s too dangerous,” Marinette said firmly. She bent over a garbage can. Chat tried not to look, but his eyes strayed to her cute little backside anyway. It was perfectly outlined by the green skirt Marinette was wearing.

Marinette gave a cry and Chat started, jerking his eyes away hastily.

“I found it!” She emerged with his baton clasped in hand.

“You found it!” He raced over to her. “Oh Princess, I could kiss you!”

He blushed as soon as he realized what he’d said, and she blushed too. They looked at each other for a long moment, neither one speaking. Then Marinette shuffled her feet.

“Well,” she said to the ground. “Okay.”

Okay? _Okay_?! Chat stared at her in wonder. He moved a little closer, wondering if she’d move away. She didn’t. He slowly leaned in and her breathing quickened; she licked her lips, leaving them glossy and shiny.

Thoughts of Ladybug flickered through his mind and he paused an inch from her lips. Marinette’s eyes rose to meet his. An uncertain look crossed her face, but all that did was cement Chat’s decision. He closed the distance and she didn’t pull away.

Very gently, he kissed her.


	16. Ghosts

“Eat up, Tikki. Hurry,” Marinette said, fumbling around in her purse for cookies. She finally got her hands on a couple and pulled them out, thrusting them at Tikki.

Tikki took them but didn’t eat, looking worried. “You’re bleeding, Marinette.”

Marinette blinked and licked her lips, tasting blood. She vaguely remembered the akuma punching her in the face while she’d been distracted by the ghost of a wailing child. That explained why her right cheek hurt so much.

“It’s fine. It’ll heal. Eat,” Marinette urged. She moved to the mouth of the alley and looked out.

Paris was enshrouded in fog. The akuma, the aptly named Ghostraiser, claimed to be capable of looking into people’s hearts and raising the ghosts of those they missed most. Marinette wasn’t wholly sure that was true; she thought the ghosts might just be a trick, but right now that didn’t matter.

She couldn’t see her partner at first. He’d said he would be okay facing Ghostraiser while Ladybug pulled back to feed her kwami after a disastrous attempt at a Lucky Charm. But Marinette wasn’t so sure. This akuma was particularly strong and tricky.

Her fears were confirmed when the fog suddenly billowed apart. Chat fell out of the fog and landed hard on his knees and elblows. Ghostraiser cackled somewhere above them, raising the hair on the back of Marinette’s neck.

“Hello? Can you hear me?” A ghost formed in front of Chat. Marinette tensed as the features solidified into a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a white gown.

Chat sat up, baton forgotten on the ground beside him. “Mère?”

Chat’s mother. Marinette tightened her hands into fists.

“ _Ma petite_ ,” the woman said, a smile crossing her face. Like the other ghosts, she was see-through and the edges of her were distorted.

“Mère, is that really you?” Chat whispered. His eyes brightened with tears as he slowly stood. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I know you have, but I’m here now. I won’t ever let you go,” the ghost said. She reached out to him. To Marinette’s horror, Chat stepped forward.

“Tikki! Are you done?!” Marinette looked around, but Tikki still had several bites of cookie left even though she was eating as fast as she could.

“My darling,” the ghost said. “My poor, lonely darling.”

“Get away from him!” Marinette yelled, deciding in a split second that they didn’t have the luxury of waiting for Tikki to finish. She ran forward.

Both the ghost and Chat ignored her. “Come here,” the ghost crooned, opening her arms. Chat took another step.

“Chat, no!” Marinette cried, running up behind him. She threw her arms around Chat’s waist in an effort to stop him. People who got touched by the ghosts disappeared. She didn’t know where they went, but it couldn’t be good.

“Come here, Darling,” the ghost called. Chat moved forward, dragging Marinette along. It was like he was compelled to go to the ghost, and, without Tikki, Marinette wasn’t strong enough to stop him.

“No! Chat, you can’t leave me!” Marinette exclaimed. “It’s me! Marinette!” She uselessly dug her heels in.

Shockingly, Chat actually hesitated. “Marinette?” he repeated uncertainly, like he couldn’t place her name.

She nodded frantically, hugging his waist tighter. “Yes, Marinette. Your princess, remember?”

“Don’t you want to be with _me_?” the ghost called out. She was too close for comfort now.

“Yes,” Chat said with a sigh, like it was all he’d ever wanted, and Marinette _hurt_. Terror and panic raced through her. She couldn’t let Chat go.

“No, I won’t let you have him! He’s _mine_!” she yelled. Impulsively, she let go, reached up and grabbed Chat’s face. She went up on her tip toes and kissed him hard.

There was a moment where she thought it wouldn’t work, and she could’ve wept out of desperation. Then, miraculously, Chat suddenly relaxed. His arms came around her waist and he kissed her back.

“Adrien, why are you foresaking me? I thought you loved me!” the ghost wailed.

 _Adrien_?!

Marinette’s eyes popped open at the same time that Chat’s did. He looked just as shocked and flustered as she felt, but he was clearly in control of himself again: he let go of Marinette but this time kept a protective arm around her.

“You’re not my mother,” he snarled at the ghost. Marinette recognized her now. It was the woman whose portrait hung in the Agreste home.

“Don’t talk to me that way!” the ghost screamed.

“Cataclysm!” Chat jumped forward and raked his claws through the ghost. She fizzled out of existence. Chat didn’t get up right away, but remained kneeling on the ground.

“Chat?” Marinette whispered. The fog was closing in again. A chill ran down her spine.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Marinette. It was dangerous,” Chat said without turning to look at her.

Marinette bit her lip, then moved towards him. She rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I couldn’t let her take you away, _Chaton_. You’re my kitty, my partner, my other half. We belong together.”

He tensed in surprise, looking up at her. “My Lady?!”

She smiled tearfully and touched his cheek. Her heart _ached_ for him and what he’d suffered. It just wasn’t fair. And now wasn’t the time to comfort him, either. She bent to press their foreheads together and whispered words that made him gasp in wonder, then straightened up.

As Tikki came flying over, Marinette declared, “Let’s go kick this akuma’s ass.”


	17. Rooftop Save

So apparently there was a guy at school who had a crush on Marinette.

She clutched at the akuma’s arm and tried not to scream; it was one thing to go soaring above Paris with her yo-yo, or even with Chat’s arm locked around her waist as his baton propelled them to new heights. She always felt safe then, because she knew she would never fall.

It was something differently entirely to do it as a captive.

“No one will bother us up here!” the akuma said triumphantly, finallyanding on a rooftop. He dropped Marinette, who landed on her side with a yelp.

“Please… you don’t want to do this,” Marinette said, quickly scrambling away. She looked around, her heart sinking. They were at least twelve stories up and the only door off the roof was locked with chains and a padlock. Short of jumping, she didn’t see a way off.

“But I do. Marinette, now we can be _together_ ,” the akuma said earnestly, leaning forward. “You won’t have to deal with all of those distractions keeping us apart!”

“Distractions?” Marinette repeated in confusion, edging back a little more.

The akuma nodded fervently. “Yes! Distractions like that stupid Agreste boy.”

“Adrien isn’t stupid!” Marinette cried. She got to her feet and wiped the dust from her capris. “Adrien is the smartest boy I know.”

Too late, she realized that was a mistake. The akuma swelled with rage, eyes flashing green. “If you can’t see past him, I’ll just have to eliminate him!”

“No!” Marinette screamed, but the akuma had already turned and leaped off the roof. She ran to the edge, and was _just_ about to call for her transformation when a voice spoke up behind her.

“Wow, I wish I could chase akumas away that fast!”

“Chat Noir!” Marinette spun around, so grateful to see her partner that she could’ve cried. “You have to hurry! That akuma is targeting someone!”

Chat straightened up, ears swiveling and tail quivering. “Who?!”

“Adrien. Adrien Agreste,” Marinette said. To her surprise, Chat relaxed.

“Ah. Don’t worry, Marinette. Adrien is safe.”

Marinette frowned. “He is?”

“Yup. I have it on good authority he’s _purrrrr_ -fectly fine.” Chat dragged the word out, probably to make her smile, but she was too worried.

“But… that akuma said he was going to eliminate Adrien,” Marinette said worriedly, ringing her hands. “He’s jealous because I like Adrien and ugh, I _just knew_ this was going to happen -”

Her rambling was cut off by Chat choking. “Y-you like Adrien?!” he stuttered.

“Um, yeah?” Marinette said, blushing slightly. Adrien _and_ the cat in front of her, but she wasn’t about to admit that.

Chat stared at her for a long time, looking somewhat dazed, until Marinette reached out and lightly flicked his nose.

“Focus, Chat! We - _you_ have to stop the akuma!”

“Right. Right. The akuma.” Chat shook his head. “Come here. I’ll get you down first.”

She thought about telling him she could get herself down, and not to waste anymore time stopping the akuma, but figured it would be too suspicious and that they would probably end up arguing over it. It was just easier to let Chat help her down.

So she stepped closer, letting Chat scoop her up. His heart was beating very fast when she rested her head against his chest, but Marinette attributed it to the surge of adrenaline from fighting an akuma. She sat comfortably in his arms as Chat jumped off the roof and made his way to the ground.

 


	18. Balconies

“Uh… I think Chat Noir might be outside, Marinette.”

“Ugh, not tonight. I have so much homework to do,” Marinette said, looking up. “Maybe if I don’t go out, he’ll think I’m too busy?”

Tikki, who was hovering near the window, suddenly squeaked and ducked down. “I think he almost saw me!”

“Then get away from the window.”

Tikki scoffed and poked her head back up again. She was quiet for a moment, then said, “You should probably go out there.”

“What? Why?” Marinette turned to her kwami in surprise. Normally Tikki was a little leery of her friendship with Chat, always worried about the possibility of crossing too many lines.

“He’s crying.”

“He’s what?” Marinette jumped up and scrambled up the ladder to her bed. She grabbed the window at the bottom and pushed it open, pulling herself out.

It was a cool night and goosebumps rose up on her arms. She regretted not grabbing a blanket to cover up her shorts and tank top, but all of that fell away when she saw Chat hastily wiping at his face. Tikki was right, she realized. He _was_ crying.

“Hey, what’s up?” Marinette said, aiming for nonchalant and missing it by a mile. She sounded way too concerned for that.

“Hi, Marinette,” Chat mumbled. He looked tired and upset, ears drooping, tail laying limply at his side.

“What’s wrong?” Marinette asked, dropping any pretense of acting like she hadn’t noticed.

Chat sighed. “It’s nothing.”

“Okay… but it doesn’t _seem_ like nothing. You can talk to me if you want to,” Marinette said. This was edging on dangerous territory, but she couldn’t bring herself to act like she didn’t care. Sometimes she cared _so much_ that it was overwhelming.

He looked away from her for a moment, then his shoulders slumped. “Do you… do you think I’m lazy?”

“ _What_?!” Marinette didn’t meant to yell that loud, but she was so shocked she couldn’t help it. A few people on the street looked up at her; thankfully, Chat was sitting closer to her window and couldn’t be seen. Marinette blushed, waved the people off, and moved to sit down next to him.

“It’s just…” Chat toyed with his tail. “I had an argument with my dad tonight. I wanted to go out with my friends tomorrow. He said that I’m being lazy, and that I don’t understand the value of my time. And then he said I’ll never make anything of myself if I keep wasting time on such trivial things.”

Marinette clenched her jaw to keep from spewing a load of angry words at Chat’s father. She’d known from little comments he made here and there that Chat didn’t have the best relationship with his dad, but he’d made those comments to Ladybug and not Marinette. _She_ wasn’t supposed to know. This, though. This made her _mad_.

“Chat Noir, that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!” Marinette said when she thought she could speak without cursing.

Chat blinked at her. “It is?”

“Yes! You spend almost every night patrolling the city. You’re always on hand when an akuma attacks. That’s on top of school and the fact that you work with your father?! Plus any extracurricular activities you do, like playing piano.” She leaned forward to stare at him intently, willing him to understand. “You are possibly the _least lazy_ person I know.”

In fact, the only person Marinette could think of that might have more to do than Chat was Adrien Agreste, who had more lessons and activities and photo shoots packed into a single day than there were hours. But even then, Adrien didn’t have to worry about the stress of having to regularly save the whole city from Hawkmoth. Marinette knew firsthand exactly how much stress that was.

“Really? You’re not just saying that?” Chat asked. He seemed oddly vulnerable just then, looking up at her with big eyes, and it made a surge of protectiveness roll through Marinette.

She scooted closer and didn’t hesitate to wrap her arm around his shoulders. He leaned into her immediately, like a hug was all he’d ever wanted - and possibly, it was. As he rested his head on her shoulder, Marinette resolved to hug him more. He seemed like he needed it.

“I am _not_ just saying that,” she said, softly but firmly. “You’re a _hero_ , Chat. To me, and to everyone else in Paris. If your father can’t see that, he’s a damn idiot.” She bit her lip too late.

But Chat just chuckled. “He is a damn idiot,” he said, sounding more cheerful. “You’re right. Thanks, Marinette.”

“You’re welcome,” Marinette said, resting her head atop his. Her homework could wait.

 


	19. Flowers

A series of familiar beeps from her phone caught Marinette’s attention. She reached for her phone automatically and frowned at seeing the dozen texts from Alya that demanded Marinette check the Ladyblog _immediately_.

Bemused, Marinette did just that and found that Alya was live-blogging.

“There he is! The hero of Paris, carrying flowers! I wonder who they’re for?” Alya’s voice came from behind her phone; the screen was focused on Chat Noir as he jumped effortlessly from one rooftop to another.

A bouquet of flowers was clearly tucked beneath his left arm.

“Chat! Chat Noir!” Alya yelled suddenly.

Chat looked around and then down. He spotted the phone and the woman holding it and grinned. In the middle of a jump he changed direction and use his baton to lower himself to the ground.

“Good evening, fair Ladyblogger,” he said. “What’s up?”

“You’re carrying flowers,” Alya said, never one to beat around the bush.

“So I am,” Chat said, his smile widening.

“Who are they for?” Alya asked bluntly, and Marinette groaned. Tact was not Alya’s strong point.

“I can’t say,” said Chat.

“You can’t? Why not? Aren’t they for Ladybug?” Alya pressed.

Chat’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “I can honestly say that they’re not.”

Alya gasped. “So you’re… you’re giving flowers to _another woman_?” she asked, sounding so scandalized that Marinette winced.

Chat laughed. “As it happens, yes. My Lady will always be first in my heart, but it just so happens that these flowers are destined for another beautiful woman today.”

He’d called her _beautiful_. In front of everyone watching the Ladyblog! Marinette turned bright pink and sank back in her chair. Thank god Alya had no idea who he was referring to.

“And does Ladybug know about this?” Alya demanded.

“I think it would make her very happy,” Chat replied with a mysterious smile. “I have to go.” He tossed off a casual salute and used his baton to propel himself straight up and out of range. Alya’s phone followed him until he was out of sight. Then the camera swung around to face Alya.

“You heard it here first,” she breathed excitedly. “Could there be trouble in Ladynoir paradise? Maybe Chat is moving on! I wish he would’ve told me who he was buying those flowers for. Maybe I can follow him!”

The screen went black as Alya cut the livestream and Marinette sighed, shaking her head at her phone. Alya could be so dramatic sometimes.

At a gentle thump on her balcony, Marinette turned in her chair and crossed her arms. The window above her bed was pulled up and Chat crawled in. He froze when he saw her, his smile fading into a more contrite look.

“Thanks to you, I’m going to have to listen to Alya talk about this _all week_ ,” Marinette said flatly.

“… oops?” he offered sheepishly.

She glared. “I told you to be more careful, _Chaton_!”

“I’m sorry, Marinette. I didn’t realize she was there. Please forgive me.” He gave her the big, dramatic eyes, which Chat pulled off so much better than Adrien ever could. It really wasn’t fair that his green eyes were magnified so much when he was transformed.

“I guess I can forgive you, but only if you kiss me after the next battle. Alya needs to know the good ship Ladynoir is safe,” Marinette said.

Chat jumped down from her bed. “I will, of course, oblige, but I’ll also do you one better.” He crossed her room and bent down to give her a soft, sweet kiss that made Marinette’s insides melt like better.

Before she could deepen the kiss, though, Chat pulled back and handed her the bouquet of gorgeous flowers. Marinette inhaled deeply and sighed as the spicy fragrance surrounded her. Her mouth watered. She pulled off a pink petal and popped it into her mouth.

“How is it?!” Chat asked eagerly.

“Delicious,” Marinette said, smiling. She ate another couple petals and then stood, winding her arms around his neck. “Thanks for the flowers, _mon minou_.”

“Anytime, Bugaboo,” he murmured, and began to purr as he kissed her again.


	20. Pranks

“I’ll show you what it feels like to be on the bad end of a prank!”

Alya’s heart was racing with adrenaline, but in spite of that she held her phone perfectly steady. She watched in horror as the akuma caught Chat Noir around the neck and literally hurtled him backwards. Chat uncoiled and twisted around until he was in position to land nimbly on his feet.

Unfortunately, the akuma had planned for that. Its hand shot out and a dozen banana peels formed beneath Chat’s boots seconds before he actually hit the ground. Chat slipped and fell, landing on the ground on his back with a yelp of pain.

The akuma smirked. “I was saving this one for Ladybug, but I guess I can test it on you. Instead of the bug in the icecube, we’ll make it a cat!”

“No!” Marinette shrieked. Alya jumped in surprise and almost dropped her phone. 

Their whole class was huddled behind what had been one of the walls of the gymnasium, but which was now nothing more than a mound of plaster and concrete. Alya had been carefully filming the akuma fight. Chat Noir kept trying to lead the akuma away and give them the chance to escape, but the akuma seemed determined to stand its ground.

Marinette stood up and started to run around the mound.

“Marinette, what are you doing?!” Madame Bustier cried.

“Stop!” Alya yelled. 

“Marinette!” Nino tried to grab Marinette, but she slipped out of Nino’s grasp and sprinted towards Chat. 

Chat was trying to get to his feet, but the banana peels had made the floor _incredibly_ slippery. Alya could personally attest to that one: she’d barely made it out of the classroom after the akuma had covered the floor with banana peels. She’d ended up on her hands and knees, slowly crawling towards the door and almost faceplanting every few seconds.

Right now, Chat didn’t have the luxury of time. The akuma drew its arm back, then threw what looked like an icecube right at Chat. But the icecube didn’t hit its target: Marinette leaped in front of Chat and took the blow for him.

“Marinette!” Alya screamed.

The icecube expanded in size until it was roughly six feet high and five feet wide. Poor Marinette was encased right in the middle of it, perfectly visible through the clear ice. Chat stared up at her, and Alya captured the devastated look on his face perfectly.

“Marinette… why?” Chat whispered, touching a shaking hand to the icecube.

“What a pain, getting in the way of my perfectly executed prank!” the akuma said.

Chat’s expression quickly turned to one of rage. He grabbed his baton, stuck it on the ground, and propelled himself up. He only got a few feet up before the baton slipped, but it was still enough for Chat to throw himself free of the area where the banana peels were. He turned on the akuma.

Quietly, he snarled, “ _You_ just made a _big_ mistake.”


	21. Cold Night

A single snowflake fell from the overcast sky and landed right on Chat’s left cat ear. He flicked his ear irritably to get rid of the offending bit of cold, then lifted his face to peer up at the sky. More flakes were just starting to fall.

“Brilliant,” he muttered, curling in on himself. After a spectacular fight with his father that had ended with Adrien storming out, he had no where to go. He’d thought he could camp out on a rooftop for the night, but once again his bad luck was rearing its ugly head.

He sighed, debating on whether he wanted to head home after all. It was cold enough that he wouldn’t be able to stay out for long if he wasn’t transformed and he didn’t know how much longer Plagg could maintain this. The temperature had dropped as a freezing wind came up and the sun went down.

And then, off in the distance, he heard a voice.

“Here kitty kitty kitty! Here kitty kitty kitty!”

Was someone looking for their lost pet in this weather? Bemused, Chat got up and took a careful jump off the roof (it hadn’t taken him and Ladybug long to realize that a little snow could make life _very_ slippery). As he ran, he realized he was heading in the direction of the bakery.

“Here kitty! Come on kitty!”

And then he realized he was hearing Marinette’s voice.

She was leaning over her balcony, practically bent double over her railing, hands cupped around her mouth as she called out repeatedly. Her dark hair was down around her shoulders, growing wet and icy from the falling snow.

When she saw him, she smiled and waved her hand in a beckoning movement. “There’s my good kitty! Come here.”

“Were you seriously calling me?” Chat asked, landing on her balcony. He perched there awkwardly, staring at her in confusion. She was wearing cotton pajamas with only a pink blanket around her shoulders for warmth.

“Yup,” Marinette said, smiling. “I saw you go by a few minutes ago. Why are you still out? It’s freezing.” She pulled the blanket closer to herself.

“I was just patrolling,” Chat said, which wasn’t a _total_ lie. He really had started out the night patrolling. He just wasn’t finishing it that way.

Marinette narrowed her eyes. “You told me that you and Ladybug don’t patrol when it gets nasty out.”

“That’s more for My Lady’s benefit. The cold really affects her. I’m fine.” Chat tapped his chest with his fist to prove how fine he was. The effect, of course, was promptly ruined when a cold gust of wind blew and he shivered involuntarily.

“Chat, tell me the truth,” Marinette said. “I’m worried about you.”

He probably wouldn’t have said anything had it not been for that last, softly spoken statement. No one _worried_ over him. Not about Chat Noir or Adrien Agreste. He found he simply couldn’t turn away from Marinette’s earnest expression.

“I had a fight with my dad. I can’t go home, and I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

Her lips pressed into a frown. She was quiet for a moment, watching him, then gave a decisive nod and held out her hand. Chat stared at her in bewilderment, looking from her outstretched face to her kind blue eyes.

“Here kitty kitty,” Marinette coaxed when he failed to move. “Come on, kitty. Come inside with me where it’s nice and warm.”

His stomach flipped. “Mari -”

“Chat, please,” she said, looking him right in the eyes. “I won’t sleep if I know you’re out there alone. I’ll feed you and you can sleep on my chaise. My parents don’t have to know.”

Chat suddenly realized that he wanted that more than _anything_. The picture she painted sounded so amazing. He found himself leaning forward, hand lifting to take hers of its own accord.

Marinette smiled and gently helped him down from the railing. She bundled him inside and sternly told him to detransform, then shoved a towel, blanket, sweatshirt and comfy pajama pants into his hands, then was out the door before he could protest. Chat was left standing in the middle of her room, dumbfounded.

“Oh,” Marinette said, poking her head back up. “By the way, if you ever try to stay out in the cold like that again without coming to me first, you better hope Ladybug is around to protect you when I get my hands on you.” She gave him a sweet smile and then disappeared again.

In spite of himself, Chat laughed. He didn’t doubt Marinette’s threat was genuine, but he was touched she cared enough to make it. Maybe he wasn’t as alone as he thought.

 


	22. Sick

“Miraculous Ladaaachoo!”

The force of her sneeze nearly knocked Ladybug off her feet; Chat caught her from behind before she could hit the ground, having seen this coming from the way his poor partner had been sneezing and coughing her way through battle to the point where not even the akuma had wanted to get close.

“Well,” he said optimistically as streams of red light and thousands of small Ladybugs raced out to restore the city. “It still worked.”

Ladybug moaned in reply. He winced, feeling the way the heat radiated off her, and gently set her down to attend to the newest of Hawkmoth’s victims. They were on the roof, so it was simply a matter of ushering the guy safely down the stairs.

Once he was gone, Chat turned around just in time to see a familiar white light sweep over the roof. Marinette’s breathing immediately became heavier and raspier as Tikki floated above her. Tikki looked over at Chat and they shared a concerned look.

“Just kill me,” Marinette said thickly, staring at the sky.

“Sorry, I can’t. I’d never survive without you,” Chat said, moving closer to her. Dressed only in sweat-soaked pajamas, she really did look bad. Her face was flushed, with new beads of sweat forming on along her temples and hairline.

“Don’t be selfish,” she grumbled. “Ugh. I feel _awful_ , _Chaton_.”

“I know you do.” He crouched down and gently ran his claws through her hair. “Come on, Bugaboo. Let’s get you home.”

“I can do it. Just give me a minute,” Marinette said. Then she launched into a series of coughs that made _Chat’s_ chest hurt just listening to them.

“Why do it yourself when you’ve got your loyal servant at your beck and call?” he joked, easily scooping her into his arms. He’d never tell her this, but she felt frighteningly small and fragile.

“It’s just the flu,” Tikki said, recognizing the worried look on his face. She flew to Chat’s shoulder and perched there, rubbing her little head comfortingly against his shoulder.

“Right,” Chat said. He leaped off the roof, holding Marinette carefully, and made his way back to the bakery. He knew Marinette’s parents were out this evening; she’d told him a few days ago that they had been asked to cater a party. He and Marinette had planned to have a fun night, but obviously that wasn’t going to happen.

So he had no fears about sliding into Marinette’s room, laying her carefully in bed, and then going to search for medicine and a glass of water. He found them in the bathroom and brought them back to find that Marinette hadn’t moved.

“Here,” he said, passing them up to her. “Wanna take a shower? You’ll feel better.”

Two slitted blue eyes glared down at him. “I’m hardly feeling sexy right now, Chat.”

“I didn’t say I was going to join you this time,” Chat said, rolling his eyes. “Though… seeing as how you can’t stand up on your own…”

“I’m fine!” Marinette struggled up, gasping and swearing under her breath. He caught her when she almost fell down the ladder, but quickly removed his hands from her when she looked around with a fierce, grumpy glare.

She shuffled off to shower and Chat got Tikki cookies and briefly detransformed to feed Plagg. While they ate, he changed the sheets on Marinette’s bed with Tikki’s helpful instructions, got a new glass of water and some crackers for Marinette, and hauled her laptop up onto the bed. Then, ignoring Plagg’s whining, he transformed again.

Marinette seemed surprised by that when she shuffled back into the room. “Why are you still transformed?” she asked, scrunching her nose up in that adorable way.

Chat smiled and held his arms out. “The material of my costume will feel good on your face,” he explained. “Plus, you love it so much when I purr and I can purr longer and louder this way.”

“Aww, _Chaton_. You’re the best. I’m sorry I’m so cranky.” Marinette started to crawl up the ladder and literally fell forward into his arms halfway up. Chat pulled her up the rest of the way and cuddled her close.

“You’re sick. You’re allowed to be cranky,” he said, kissing her head. She’d washed her hair with that vanilla and honey shampoo he loved so much; one whiff of it and he started to purr.

Marinette giggled sleepily, squirming around until her head was positioned just right to best hear him. Softly, she said, “Who knew that Chat Noir would be the _best boyfriend ever_?”

“I did. I kept telling you that all those years but you never listened - _oof_!” Chat winced. Sick or not, Marinette didn’t lighten her blows.

“Be quiet and keep purring,” Marinette said, though she was trying not to laugh.

Chat grinned and hugged her. “As you wish, My Lady.”


	23. Pillows and Blankets

Chat sighed grumpily and gave one last, longing look at his partner. Even when she was drooling in her sleep, Marinette was beautiful. He wanted nothing more than to crawl back under her blankets and fall back asleep with her…

But he had a fencing lesson to start the day off bright and early, and he’d get in trouble if he didn’t go. He regretfully laid a hand on Marinette’s shoulder and gave her a gentle shake; she got mad when he left without saying goodbye.

“Mari, I’m leaving,” he whispered in her ear. He had to wait a moment for her to wake up enough to respond.

“Mmm, no,” she finally mumbled back.

Chat smiled. “Yes. I have a fencing lesson.”

She cracked an eye open. “It’s not even light outside yet. What time is it?”

“Just after six.”

“Ugh, _no_. It’s _Saturday_ ,” Marinette whined, rolling over onto her back. Chat’s eyes were automatically drawn to the way her tank top had worked itself down to bare some of her chest. He couldn’t help admiring the view.

It definitely didn’t help him want to leave, but he tried to be strong.

“I know it’s Saturday, but Nathalie didn’t give me much choice. Kiss goodbye?” He leaned down, fully prepared to nuzzle her chest if she wouldn’t kiss him, and ended up yelping in surprise when she suddenly threw her arms around his neck and yanked his head down.

“Not that I’m complaining that you’re shoving my face into your breasts, but what are you doing?” Chat asked, voice muffled.

“You’re not leaving me,” Marinette said petulantly. “You are staying _here_ with me. You’re going to use my boobs as pillows, because you love doing that, and go back to sleep. When we wake up, we’re taking a shower together, _then_ having breakfast and _then_ we’re hanging out with Alya and Nino for the day. _I’ve decided_.”

Chat took exactly thirty seconds to mentally compare the day Nathalie had laid out for him (boring as fuck and _busy_ , rushing from lesson to lesson, and he even thought there might have been a dinner with Chloé and her father shoved in there somewhere) to the one that Marinette had laid out. Even if he’d get in trouble with Nathalie and possibly his father later on, there was just no contest.

“If you insist,” he said happily, wrapping his arms around her and snuggling in. She was warm and soft in all the right places.

“Good kitty,” Marinette said, satisfied, and hiked the blanket higher until it was snugly tucked around his shoulders. Then her fingers found their way into his hair, gently rubbing just the way he liked it.


	24. Nap Lap

Chat had a headache.

That was the first thing he noticed, since it was impossible to ignore. The second was thing he noticed was that his head was propped up against something soft that didn’t feel like a pillow, though he wasn’t immediately sure what it was.

He cracked open an eye to see and found himself looking up at Marinette’s chin. She didn’t seem to have noticed that he was awake; she was intently watching as Tikki scarfed down some cookies. For a moment, he was confused.

Then it all came rushing back. The akuma. Being thrown into the Seine. He thought he remembered the feeling of Ladybug’s arms closing around him as he passed out; apparently, that hadn’t been a dream after all.

“Mari?” he croaked out.

“Chat!” Her head snapped down and she looked at him worriedly. “Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine. I think,” Chat said. “Except that my head hurts.”

Marinette frowned unhappily. “You hit it when that akuma threw you in the Seine,” she said. “I jumped in to grab you, but I was running out of time. We had to retreat.”

He recalled her using her Lucky Charm just moments before he was incapacitated, and asked, “What happened to your Charm?”

She scowled. “The akuma threw that in the Seine too. You were both sinking so quickly. I had a choice between you and my Charm.”

“And you chose me?” Chat said, unable to keep the hint of surprise from his voice.

Marinette’s scowl morphed into an exasperated look. “Of course I did, you dumb cat! I can make tons of Lucky Charms. I only get _one_ partner.”

He smiled, touched. “You could’ve just beaten the akuma and brought me back with your cure.”

“I am _never_ losing you again,” Marinette said in a deadly tone. “Is that clear?”

“Err, crystal,” Chat said, spooked by the sudden intensity in her face.

Just as quickly, she smiled again. “Good. Once Tikki finishes up, I’ll transform again and we can go take the akuma down together. I’m pretty sure that the akuma is in his hat.”

“Hat. Got it,” Chat said. He would’ve nodded, but nodding made the pain spike across his temples and that was not a smart idea unless he wanted to vomit all over his lady.

He closed his eyes again. Now that he knew he was laying on her lap, the polite thing to do would be to move. But he didn’t want to. He loved laying on Marinette. She was always soft, comfortable and smelled of good things.

“Does your head hurt too bad?” she asked.

“Nah. I’ll be okay in a couple minutes,” he mumbled back. “Just… do you mind if I sleep for a couple minutes until Tikki is ready?”

“Go ahead,” Marinette said. “The akuma is no where near here. It took off after Lila.” He could hear the grin in her voice.

“I can tell you feel awful,” Chat said, smiling in spite of himself.

“I can’t help her right now, so there’s no sense in beating myself up about it,” Marinette said mischievously. “Tikki will finish… eventually.”

Chat snorted even as he heard Tikki start scolding Marinette through a mouthful of cookie. Eventually. Yeah, that sounded pretty good to him too.

 


	25. Puss in Boots

“ - _and then Paris was saved thanks to our very own Puss in Boots_!”

“Okay, why do they keep calling me that?” Chat asked, pouting. He picked up the remote and turned the television off. Normally he and Marinette were confined to her room, but her parents were out tonight and so they’d taken over the living room.

Marinette stuck her head out of the kitchen. She gave the top of his head a very pointed look, then slowly lowered her eyes to stare pointedly at his boots.

Chat flicked his kitty ears back. “Just because I’m a cat who wears boots doesn’t mean anything!”

“Sure it doesn’t,” Marinette said dryly. She ducked back into the kitchen and emerged a moment later with a huge bowl of popcorn in hand.

“It doesn’t!” Chat whined. He wanted Paris to think he was _cool_. He didn’t want to be compared to a fairy tale character, and a lame fairy tale character at that.

“Chat, the akuma you were fighting thought it was the King of Paris. It cast a spell on Ladybug to turn her into a sleeping princess. _You_ managed to outsmart the akuma and save both Ladybug _and_ Paris alone.” Marinette sat down beside him. “I think it’s cute. What’s the big deal?”

He frowned and looked away, mumbling something.

“What was that?” Marinette asked.

“I want to be the prince!” Chat burst out. “I don’t want to be compared to a cat. I want to be the suave prince who saves his princess!”

Marinette’s face softened. “Oh, kitty. You are a prince. A _real_ prince.”

“No I’m not. I’m just some dumb cat,” Chat muttered, depressed. “I didn’t even get a kiss from My Lady.”

Plagg had encouraged him to just kiss Ladybug and be done with it, certain that would free Ladybug from the spell. Chat hadn’t been so sure, and anyway he’d felt creepy kissing Ladybug without her consent. It just hadn’t felt right. He wanted her to _want_ to kiss him.

“Ah, so that’s what this is about,” Marinette murmured. She was quiet for a long moment, thinking

“It’s stupid. Just forget about it,” Chat said. He looked at the television and sighed.

Then he started at the feeling of lips against his cheek. He turned his head to face Marinette and their lips brushed. Marinette tensed, her eyes widening. Chat froze, his eyes locked on hers, shocked.

Slowly, Marinette increased the pressure. He kissed her back, of course, moving his lips against hers until she pulled away. He stared at her in surprise.

“Marinette?” he whispered.

Marinette blushed, not meeting his gaze. “I’m sure Ladybug would’ve done that if she’d had the chance,” she said. “Thank you for saving the city, Chat Noir.”

Chat touched his lips and swallowed. “You’re… you’re welcome.”


	26. Fencing

“You fence, don’t you?”

Marinette actually wasn’t intending to bring it up. Not today. And as soon as the words were out and she saw the incredibly _panicked_ look on Chat’s face, she kind of regretted saying it. But it was too late now.

Here it was, their make or break moment.

“F-fence? M-me? Pfft… that’s… that’s _silly_!” Chat stammered.

“You also suck at lying, just for the record,” Marinette said after a moment.

Chat recovered enough to scowl at her. “I do not.”

“Right, because the stuttering was _totally_ convincing.” Marinette smirked at him.

He scowled deeper. “What makes you think I fence?”

“It’s the way you hold your baton,” Marinette said at once. He didn’t look convinced, so she grabbed her phone and opened the Ladyblog. She found a picture right away and showed it to him.

Chat looked at it. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You hold it like it’s a sword,” Marinette said. It had taken her a long time to see it, and even longer to put two and two together to come up with four… and even longer to _actually accept it_.

“I do not,” he said, but less confidently this time. He squinted at the picture.

“Yes you do. Maman used to fight with a staff when she was younger. She’s taught me how to do it. _This_ ,” Marinette shook her phone, “is not how someone fights with a staff.”

“You know how to fight with a staff?” Chat asked with interest.

“Don’t try to change the subject,” she said. “I know you fence… Adrien.”

He just completely froze up as soon as she said his name, and Marinette nodded. She had known that she was right, but there had still been a tiny seed of doubt until that moment. It was a relief to know that she hadn’t blown everything out of proportion or jumped to conclusions after all.

“I’m sorry. I know I wasn’t supposed to figure it out. But spending time with you as Chat _and_ as Adrien, there were only so many similarities I could ignore,” she went on. “I really, _really_ tried not to make the connection.”

“I believe you,” Chat said, sounding shaky. “I just… wow. I didn’t expect this.”

“I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m sorry for springing it on you like that. I guess I didn’t really plan it,” Marinette admitted.

He looked away from her, then shook his head. He started tapping his foot on the floor as he said, “So… what does this mean?”

Marinette gathered all of her courage and sat down in his lap. Chat tensed in surprise and his head whipped around to look at her. His green eyes were so wide they looked like they were going to pop out of his face. She smiled and leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

“It means, _Chaton_ , that on our next patrol, I’m going to start teaching you how to fight with a staff.”

“Ma - _My Lady_?!”


	27. Protecting You

“This is it. This is end.”

Alya’s somber, hushed words shook Marinette to the core. She stood stiffly, her maman’s arms wrapped around her, watching as Chat Noir took on Hawkmoth. Alone.

Because Hawkmoth already had the Ladybug miraculous.

Chat had begged her to hide. Marinette hadn’t wanted to - even without her miraculous, she wanted to fight with him - but she hadn’t had much choice after Alya had found her and dragged her back to the bakery.

She’d lied to her parents, telling them that her bruises, cuts, and scrapes had come from being near a building that had imploded. She was pretty sure she’d hidden her broken ribs, at least. Hawkmoth hadn’t won her miraculous lightly.

Chat let out a shout of pain as Hawkmoth’s cane caught him in the shoulder, throwing him backwards. His baton went flying, landing not too far away from their huddled group. Hawkmoth stood before the fallen hero and _laughed_. Laughed!

Something inside Marinette Dupain-Cheng _broke_ at that moment.

“Let go of me,” she said to her maman.

“Marinette, what are you - Marinette!”

It hurt when Marinette wrenched herself free of her maman’s grip, but she didn’t care. She grabbed Chat’s baton and extended it to the size of a staff. She couldn’t just stand idly by while Hawkmoth beat up her partner.

It couldn’t end like this.

“Get away from him!” Marinette screamed, bolting forward. She leaped, bringing the baton down hard where Hawkmoth had been standing moments before.

“Ah, Ladybug,” Hawkmoth said with a mocking smile. Marinette heard several gasps and startled cries from those watching, but didn’t take her gaze away from her adversary.

“I won’t let you touch him,” Marinette said, holding the staff up.

“My Lady, no,” Chat whispered feebly behind her. He let out a whine of pain that made the hair on the back of Marinette’s neck stand up straight.

“You couldn’t stop me when you had your miraculous. What makes you think you can stop me now?” Hawkmoth asked, smirking at her.

Marinette tightened her grip on the baton. “I won’t give up,” she said. “Not now, not _ever_.”

Arms reached around her, and Chat leaned heavily against her back as he gripped the baton too, just under where Marinette had her hands. She could feel the way he was shaking, the _strain_ in his body, and tried to stand strong so that he didn’t have to support his own weight.

“ _We_ won’t give up,” Chat said determinedly. “Bring it, Hawkmoth.”


	28. Secrets

“Would you let me tell you who I am if I wanted to?”

Marinette froze in the midst of pulling her pajama shirt on. Her head finally popped through, and she immediately turned to look at Chat. He was sitting on her head bed, back to her, head bowed.

“I - uh - I don’t - that’s - what?!” Marinette stammered.

Chat gave a quiet laugh. “Sorry. I know that was really sudden. I shouldn’t have sprung that on you.”

“I… what brought this on?” Marinette asked, shocked.

He shrugged. “It’s nothing. Never mind.”

She frowned at his back. It obviously wasn’t _nothing_. He’d been off all night, though he’d declined to answer when she asked what was wrong. Something was up. Marinette just had to figure out what.

She climbed up the ladder to join him on the bed and said, “Kitty, come on. You can’t ask me that and then say there’s nothing wrong. I’m not the smartest girl on the block, but I wasn’t born yesterday either.”

“You’re plenty smart,” Chat exclaimed immediately, like he was ready to fight anyone who said otherwise. Marinette had to smile.

“Thanks, but that’s not really the point. What’s going on?”

Chat dropped his gaze, not meeting her eyes. Now Marinette knew something was _really_ wrong. They’d been partners for the better part of four years now, and Chat had been visiting Marinette for almost two years. She knew him inside and out.

“Chat?” she said softly. “You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”

He winced, shoulders tensing. “But you’ll hate me.”

“I could never hate you.”

“Not even if…” Chat hesitated, then slowly looked up at her. “Not even if I knew you were Ladybug?”

Marinette reared back, shocked. “What?!”

“I saw you,” he said miserably. “After the last akuma attack. I thought you headed east so I went west, but -”

“But I doubled back because I had to meet Alya.” Marinette groaned and pressed her hands to her face. There was no point in lying or trying to derail him. Chat wasn’t stupid either; he knew what he’d seen.

“I figured. I’m _so_ sorry, Marinette. I know you didn’t want us to find out. But by the time I realized what was happening, you’d already detransformed and I’d already seen. I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you but I wasn’t sure what to say and I didn’t want you to hate me because I couldn’t bear it if you hated me and -”

She peeked at him through her fingers as he rambled, taking in the thoroughly upset look on his face. Even though he hadn’t necessarily agreed with it, Chat had been very good about respecting her wishes to keep their identities secret. He hadn’t even asked about it for a long time. Her heart went out to him as she realized he’d probably been tearing himself up over this for the past week.

“ _Chaton_ ,” she said, surprised by how _good_ it felt to finally be able to call him that as a civilian.

Chat shut up immediately and gave her a panicked look, like he thought she was going to throw him out the window.

“It’s okay,” Marinette said soothingly, reaching out to touch his arm. “It’s okay. Come here.”

She pulled him into a hug, realizing that he was actually _shaking_. Her poor kitty. “I don’t hate you. I could _never_ hate you.”

“I’m sorry,” Chat said again, hugging her so tightly it hurt.

“Shh. It was an accident, _Minou_. And I -” Marinette took a deep breath. “I still think it’s best if you _don’t_ tell me for your own safety. But it’s your decision. If you _want_ to tell me, I won’t stop you.”

Chat was quiet for a moment. Then he whispered, “What if changes everything?”

“You’re _always_ going to be _my_ kitty,” Marinette said. She pulled back far enough to lightly boop his nose. “And _my_ partner. And I will _always_ be _your_ lady and _your_ princess. Nothing can change that.”

He smiled faintly. “What if I’m secretly Lila Rossi?”

Marinette screwed her face up. “I would still love you,” she said with considerable difficulty, and Chat actually laughed.

“Okay,” he said, and Marinette’s heart quickened.

“Okay,” she echoed breathlessly.

Chat held her gaze as he said, “Plagg, claws in.”


	29. Werecat

Marinette sighed and hefted the delivery bag full of bread a little higher. It was the last one of the night, thankfully, as she was well and truly exhausted from trekking all over Paris. Unfortunately, her last delivery was taking her well out of her way.

She kicked a stone and sighed, then stiffened as she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look, it was at an empty storefront. In fact…

Her skin prickled with goosebumps as Marinette paused, looking around. It belatedly occurred to her that there was no one else around. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen a street devoid of people.

Then the hair on the back of her neck rose, and she knew. _Someone was watching her._

“Hey cutie. Come here often?”

Shit. Marinette turned slowly and found herself facing four men. All of them were substantially bigger and huskier than her. They stared at her with identical, creepy smiles. Marinette shivered in spite of herself and pulled the edges of her red cloak more firmly around her.

“Excuse me, I’m just passing through,” she said politely.

“You gotta pay a toll if you want to pass,” one of the guys said. He laughed as though that was the funniest thing ever, and his friends laughed with him.

“I don’t have any money,” Marinette said.

“Different kind of toll,” another guy said.

“Oh,” Marinette said, and smiled. “I can’t pay _that_ kind of toll either.”

“It’s not up to you,” the first guy said.

“You know what, you’re right. It’s up to _him_.”

She cherished their looks of confusion, which clearly turned to expressions of outright _terror_ as a huge black beast leaped down right in their midst. They all started screaming and tried to run.

“Now, now, that’s no fun. You don’t get to run from paying a toll,” Marinette said, gently setting her bag down. She flicked her fingers, forming a barrier of string around the square.

They couldn’t escape.

When it was over, Marinette cleared her throat. “Good timing, Chat Noir.”

Chat turned to face her and purred, licking blood from his chops. He was as gentle as a kitten as he padded over and nosed at her face and hands until Marinette was giggling.

“I know, I know. Chat, stop!” She grabbed him around the neck when one particularly hard nuzzle nearly knocked her on her butt. She hung on, pressing her face to his warm fur.

Chat purred louder. Marinette smiled and kissed his fur in thanks, then straightened up to look into his face. He was so threatening this way, with glowing green eyes and several rows of razor sharp teeth. Yet while her heart fluttered, it wasn’t with fear.

“Wanna help me do one last delivery?” she asked. “Then we can go home and I’ll help you shower.”

He rumbled deep in his chest and flicked his tail. Marinette grinned and stepped back, fetching her bag. Only at the last moment did she remember to undo her spell; the red strings melted away, leaving the square unchanged except for a new pile of bones.

“Mind if I ride you?” she asked with a wink and Chat snorted, shaking his head. Marinette laughed and climbed on his back, securing the bag in front of her.

“Let’s go, _Chaton_ ,” she called out, and squealed with joy, red cloak and dark hair streaming out behind them, as Chat’s powerful legs bent for momentrum before propelling them both into the sky.

 


	30. Prey/Hunt

“I’m gonna get you!”

“You will not!”

“Will too.”

“Will not!”

“Will too!”

“Will noooooooooooo!”

Marinette let out a victorious cackle as Chat’s horrified screech trailed off into a fake sob. Or at least, she thought it was fake. She was too busy watching her video game character thoroughly trounce Chat’s character to actually check.

“I can’t believe you did that to me,” Chat said sadly, staring woefully at the screen as the ending credits showed.

“All is fair in love, war and video games,” Marinette said with a smirk. She’d been a little doubtful about  _Hunter Prey: The Series_ but it was turning out to be an awesome game. She hadn’t lost a match yet.

Chat pouted dramatically and flopped over backwards. “Killed by my own princess,” he moaned.

Marinette snorted and poked him in the ribs with her toes. “How about I give you another chance to prove yourself? Best two out of three?”

He opened his eyes to look at her upside down. “Deal. My pride as a cat demands that I win. We’re the ultimate predator, you know.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure ultimate predators don’t beg for cookies and love getting their bellies scratched,” Marinette said, turning back to the screen so he wouldn’t see the slight blush on her face. “Also, you’re not a cat. You’re a _boy_ who is an animal themed superhero. Ladybug isn’t an actual ladybug.”

“Wrong! My Lady hates cold and eats flowers and chirps when she’s happy,” Chat said smugly, and damn it all he was right. She hadn’t realized he was paying that close attention.

“Whatever,” she said, as she so often did when the topic of Ladybug was brought up. She sometimes thought that Chat must think she hated Ladybug. But really, it was just awkward.

Chat just smirked at her and sat back up, grabbing his controller. Marinette rebooted the game. This time, she graciously allowed Chat to be the one who ran instead of the one who was being chased.

She was going to kick his butt either way, so what did it matter?


	31. Supernatural Creatures

“Okay, I’m calling it. I hate Halloween,” Chat announced as his feet hit the ground. He wobbled and fell back, hitting the brick wall with a soft mewl of pain.

Ladybug landed next to her partner just in time. Her transformation fell apart seconds later, and she just barely got her right hand up in time to catch Tikki. Her left arm hung uselessly at her side; Marinette was pretty sure she could feel blood trickling down her elbow.

Werewolf claws were _sharp_.

“Don’t let Hawkmoth make you hate something you love,” Marinette said, though she could see where Chat was coming from. He was just as beaten up as she was, maybe more. A quinotaur had tried to drag him into the Seine and a matagot had tackled him, and that was just what Marinette knew of.

“I never loved it. Not really. I -” Chat stopped so abruptly that she twisted to look at him, then immediately regretted it when every muscle in her back protested the move. She’d almost forgotten that she’d had to contort her body in ways the human body should _never_ be contorted, in order to avoid a dahu’s hooves.

“What?” Marinette asked worriedly. “What is it?! Did the akuma find us?” She was pretty sure they’d be under attack already if it had. Today’s akuma had the unique, super fun power of turning innocent Parisians into supernatural creatures.

“No, I… I wasn’t expecting to see you… um. Wearing that,” Chat said faintly.

“Oh right,” Marinette said, glancing down at herself. Her Chaf Noir costume was still in great shape if you discounted the growing blood stains.

It wasn’t a perfect replica by any stretch, mostly because Marinette was not magic and zippers needed to be a thing when you were working with skin-tight material, but it was pretty damn close. She’d even made a headband and attached kitty ears to it and painted a ring black with green paw prints.

She twisted around again to see Chat’s face again and grinned. It was worth the pain. He looked somewhere between struck dumb and like all of his dreams were coming true at once.

“Like what you see, _Chaton_?” she purred. “I do look _paws_ -itively _claw_ -some, I know.”

He swallowed so hard she heard his throat click. “My Lady, please. You’re killing me.”

Marinette giggled and wished she could reach back to boop his nose, but she was kind of short on functioning hands at the moment. Speaking of…

“Can you reach my purse? I need cookies for Tikki,” she said.

“Oh. Sure.” Chat moved closer and grabbed her black purse, the only part of her costume that really stuck out as not being authentic. He opened it and pulled out two cookies and passed them to Tikki.

“Thanks Chat,” Tikki whispered, sounding _exhausted_ , and began to nibble.

“How’s Plagg?” Marinette asked. She awkwardly shuffled around until she could sit facing her partner.

“I think he’s okay for now. I haven’t used Catsclysm in a bit. I’d rather save the cheese I have just in case,” Chat replied, sounding distracted. His eyes were fixed somewhere south of her chin.

Marinette didn’t mind. She liked the way Chat looked at her, like she was beautiful and sexy. She just wished that this moment wasn’t happening in the middle of one of their more difficult akuma attscks. She’d had _plans_ , damn it!

“Well that was the last of my cookies, so we’ll have to wrap this up when Tikki is done,” Marinette said. She wanted to lean against him, but that would probably hurt too much - and not just for her, either. She hadn’t missed Chat wincing whenever he moved.

In the end, she settled for leaning over until their shoulders were pressed together. Chat smiled at her and very gently set his hand on her leg. They sat quietly, listening to Tikki crunch away on her cookies, and waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the end of Marichat May; thank you so much to everyone who read, commented and gave kudos! Stick with me, because tomorrow launches off Ladrien June.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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